Private coach goes to bat for SCV players
By NATHAN BROWN, Staff Writer, LA Daily News

Pitching coaches are everywhere.

No matter where they spin their craft - a dusty, old Bronco League diamond, or a perfectly manicured baseball mecca, someone will be softly clapping their hands and telling a pitcher to throw a strike.

Santa Clarita private pitching instructor Jim Wagner, a former pitcher at California State University, Northridge, and former police officer in Glendale, has his pupils prepared, healthy and ahead of the game before they even step on the mound.

"There are a lot of pitching coaches out there," said Alan Jaeger, who has worked alongside Wagner at his Jaeger Sports Clinic in Los Angeles. "But he's not just a pitching coach. He's very educated (in pitching). If a kid goes out there and gets hurt, how useful are you?"

That's exactly what Wagner tries to avoid. Wagner uses a variety of weight training, stretching and long-tossing techniques to prepare his pupils for game-time arm stress.

"My goal is to have a pitcher throw harder and not feel sore in the morning when they wake up," Wagner said. "More kids are having Tommy John surgery today and it's sad. They're playing more games and not practicing as much."

One of Wagner's techniques to combat arm fatigue is to start a throwing session with a weighted ball up to 15 ounces (a regulation baseball is five ounces). Throughout the session, the student throws with lesser ounces going all the way down to two ounces.

China McCarney, who is currently attending College of the Canyons and has been a student of Wagner's since his freshman year at Vasquez High of Acton in 2001, has seen his fastball go from 72 mph to as high as 94 mph.

"Obviously, he's doing something right," McCarney said. "He's doesn't do anything too crazy.

It's not like boot camp or anything. He just has a consistent approach and he does a lot of research."

Some of that research was firsthand.

During his senior year at CSUN in '87, Wagner ended his own pitching days with a torn rotator cuff.

Shortly after, Wagner then left baseball to work other jobs and then law enforcement.

But in the beginning of 2001, Wagner could no longer stay away from the game he loved and began modest private lessons from fliers he put up at William S. Hart High in Newhall, where his sons, Ryan, 15, and Josh, 14, now attend.

His clientele has grown from five to 250 since '01.

He has worked with Barry Zito, coached Milwaukee Brewer Jeff Cirillo and Tiger Joel Zumaya, amongst other pros, and is currently trying to change the pitching scene in the Santa Clarita Valley.

"I want more kids to get recognized," Wagner said. "For the last six years, less than 10 pitchers from the Santa Clarita Valley have made a big impact in college or the minor leagues. We need more successful pitchers coming out of here and we're working on that."

But for now, Wagner will enjoy a message or two from a kid who pitched well in his Little League game.